In our fast paced, over communicated world a lot of us are so busy that we miss living in the present moment. Many of us can’t enjoy where we are because we have somewhere else to go. We can’t build lasting relationships because we have to go meet someone else. We live in a society bogged down with so much clutter that we can’t truly live in our present.
Live in your present
It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of life that you miss living your present moment. Recently, I found myself running on fumes because I was so busy looking at tomorrow that I failed living my today.
I had to be at this meeting. I had to be involved in this venture. I had to follow this person. I had to try this new gadget. It became a never ending cycle. I was sabotaging my present.
I looked busy. I looked productive. But, in reality I burned out.
I was not enjoying life. I was sabotaging my relationships, health, wealth and dreams. I knew had to make some changes.
I had to separate myself from people, places and possessions that I allowed to sabotage living my present moments. It was time to enjoy life. What good is it to work yourself to exhaustion and not enjoy your life? What good is it to have a dream and never live it out?
Don’t over complicate life
Don’t get so busy looking and thinking ahead that you miss the great things happening now. You will sabotage enjoying your now worrying about tomorrow.
Living in the present will take work. It requires you to simplify your life by cutting out the distractions and refocus on what’s happening around you.
When you do the birds will sound clearer. The grass will look greener. The roses will smell fresher. The sky will look bluer. You will see life the way God meant for you to see it.
Don’t get to the end of your life and regret that you didn’t live in your present moment. You only get one shot at life and you don’t want to mishandle it.
Take a moment to take inventory of your life. What present moment events have you forfeited worrying about what might happen tomorrow? What present opportunities have you missed because you are consumed with tomorrow’s problems? I am not saying that you don’t set goals for tomorrow, save for a rainy day or concern yourself about your future.
As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Make your new ending by focusing on your present. But, before you can begin this process of transformation you must stop self-sabotage.
If you are ready to live in your present moment so that your tomorrow is better, here are seven self-sabotaging activities you must eliminate.
7 self-sabotaging activities you must eliminate
1. Stop spending quality time with discouraging people. Life is too short to spend time with people who live in a perpetual state of discouragement. Every time you see them, they have nothing good to say. Every word that comes out of their mouth is doom and gloom.
According to them nothing is good. They complain about the economy. They gripe about their job. They bellyache about how bad they have it. A conversation with these people will leave you discouraged, discontented and disgusted with life. Walk away. It is your choice whether you spend time with discouragers or encouragers.
2. Stop running from your problems. Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. You may have to confront a love one who caused you pain. You may have to give up an unhealthy habit to move forward. You may have to face an issue that you ran from years ago. It is time to take a stand.
Because running from your problems does not solve them, it only makes things worse. If you don’t confront your problems quickly, they only mount up to cause more problems. Make up your mind today to stop running from your problems and face them head on.
3. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else. God designed you to be you and no one else.
Don’t become discouraged because of who someone else is or what they are doing. There will always be someone prettier, smarter, wealthier, younger and faster but if you attempt to imitate them, you cancel out who you were designed to be. Don’t change who you are to imitate someone else. Be yourself and let the world love the real you.
4. Stop holding onto the past. Don’t let the past hold you hostage. Don’t allow the past to keep your vision and dreams stagnant. The past is gone and it will never come back. No matter how many times you replay the events in your mind, you cannot change what happened.
Holding on to the past whether good or bad, can distract you from what you need to get done today. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
5. Stop holding onto unforgiveness. Don’t live your life with unforgiveness. Holding onto unforgiveness hurts you more than the person you don’t forgive. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my joy, disrupt my peace and keep me from moving forward.”
Forgiveness gives you victory over the situation and allows you to let go, find peace and liberate yourself. The freedom of forgiveness is not necessarily for the other person but it’s for you.
6. Stop living in a comfort zone. The desire to remain in our comfort zone is natural and because of that instinctive need, we jump on the someday bandwagon and push our goals and dreams to the side until another day. Unfortunately nothing ever happens.
Tomorrow becomes next week, which soon leads to next month then next year. Then next year leads to five years, then ten years. Until eventually, the life you desired to live becomes a distant memory. You can’t afford to fall into the trap of “someday” because it may never come. Break free from your comfort zone and live life at a new level.
7. Stop blaming others. The extent to which you achieve your vision depends on you taking responsibility for your life. Too many of us have a habit of blaming others for our circumstances. We say our parents did not support us, the company did not promote us fast enough, the job market did not provide the right jobs and the list goes on and on.
You may have to admit that your situation is a direct result of the choices you made. If you want to live life at maximum capacity, you must take responsibility for where you are, stop blaming others, learn from your mistakes, make the necessary changes and live forward.
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Dr. Denis Waitley
Question: What self-sabotaging activity have you allowed to disrupt your life? How will you eliminate it? Leave a comment below.
photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/t_fern/14984577405/
TC Avey says
That’s a great list. I’ve spent years trying to be someone I’m not. I truly had deluded myself into believing the lies of this world that told me what I needed to do and achieve in order to be someone, in order to be happy.
I completely missed the purpose God had created me for. But He’s a good God and able to take even our mistakes and turn them into something good. Thankfully He never let go of me and didn’t allow me to stay blinded to who He created me to be.
Bernard Haynes says
TC, thanks for commenting. I am glad that God will take our mistakes and turn them around for our good. He will never let go of those that belong to Him. Keep using your unique gift.
Dave Arnold says
Great post Bernard – I can relate to many of them. Love the idea of living in the moment. So true. Also resonated with don’t try to be like someone else. We live in a culture where it’s so easy to compare.
Bernard Haynes says
Dave, thanks for your wisdom. Our culture constantly promotes you need to be like someone else. God designed each of us with unique gifts and abilities specific for our purpose.
floyd says
Wow. You nailed it!
There is so much wisdom in this post that it’s hard to digest all of them. Hearing or reading words from people that have lived through the struggles is so much deeper and has such a deeper impact. Excellent reminders here, Bernard. I don’t care who you are, there’s something here for everyone.
Bernard Haynes says
Floyd, good to hear from you. I always appreciate your words of wisdom.